Loom beat up mechanisms



23, 1962 M. J. MACKAY 3,

LOOM BEAT UP MECHANISMS Filed Feb. 3, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MHLCOLM J- M90075 QM.MA%M

A rrozmrw Jan. 23, 1962 M. J. MACKAY 3,017,904

LOOM BEAT UP MECHANISMS Filed Feb. 3, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. M94604? J. Mac/07v M1424, AMYW Jan. 23, 1962 MACKAY 3,017,904

LOOM BEAT UP MECHANISMS Filed Feb. 3, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 /&

INVENTOR. Mm cauw J- M9614 A 7' TOENEY! Jan. 23, 1962 M. J. MACKAY 3,017,904

LOOM BEAT UP MECHANISMS Filed Feb. 3. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 y. is

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United States Patent 3,017,904 Patented Jan. 23, 1962 3,017,904 LOOM BEAT UP MECHANISMS Malcolm J. Mackay, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor to Wisconsin Wire Works Appleton, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Feb. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 712,793 10 Claims. (Cl. 139-191) This invention relates to a loom. The particular loom illustrated is one which is used to weave wire, but it will be understood that this is merely by way of exemplification of the invention.

In order to speed up loom operation and to make it possible for the shuttle to be tired back and forth during the beating up of the shute wire, without interfering with the operation of the lay, a special heddle reed is located in a fixed position immediately in advance of the heddle, and the shuttle race is associated with the heddle reed, all of these parts being out of the path of movement of the beatnp reed carried by the lay.

Since the beat-up reed carried by the lay beam moves out of engagement with the warp wires due to the enlarged distance between the shuttle race and the fell, it becomes desirable to use an open ended reed. This, in turn, is practicable because of the use of the fixed auxiliary reed contiguous to the shuttle race to maintain the warp strands accurately positioned.

An additional feature found desirable in this loom is the provision of fingers at opposite sides of the work, at least one of which is advanced preliminary to each beatup to give preliminary tension to the shute wire threaded through the shed in the last firing of the shuttle. By taking at least some of the slack from the shute wire, uniform beat-up is assured. This feature is of particular value in this particular loom because of the fact that the shuttle race is somewhat farther from the fell than is the usual practice. Means is provided for retracting the fingers prior to the retraction of the lay and, desirably, prior to the rebound beat-up impact of the lay reed with the shute wire.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in longitudinal section through a loom embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the work in the plane of the warp, the heddles, reeds, and fingers being shown in section.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the beat-up reed in perspective.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the beat-up reed in elevation.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modified embodiment in which the lay and the shute tensioning fingers are located below the work, instead of above. 1

FIG. 6 is the first of a series of views diagrammatically showing in longitudinal central section through the shuttle race, reed and fill on an enlarged scale the sequence of operation of the parts during the use of the invention.

FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are views similar to FIG. 6 showing successive positions operated by the parts in a cycle of operations involving the threading of a shute wire and beating it up in the fell.

Although means is shown for operating the shed harnesses 15, 16 and the swords 17 which support the lay beam 13, it will be understood that any appropriate mechanisms can be used for these purposes. The arrangement is, in general, conventional except that desirably some additional clearance is provided between the harness and the fell 9 of the cloth 20. It will be understood that the cloth 20' crosses over any appropriate breast beam 21 enroute to the cloth roll 22. This additional clearance permits provision beyond the harness 15 of a relatively fixed auxiliary reed at 26, adjacent which is the path on which the shuttle is fired through the shed, such path here comprising a race 25, by way of example. FIG. 2 shows shuttle boxes 27, 28 at the ends of the shuttle race and levers 29 for firing the shuttle 30 through the shed to thread the shute wire 31 between the warp wires 32, 33 spread by the shed harnesses 15 and 16. 1

In the construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 to 11, the swords 17 are conventionally pivoted overhead as at 34 in FIG. 1. However, the lay beam may, in accordance with other conventional practices, either be underslung or may be mounted slidably on bars 34 0 located below the work as in FIG. 5, the beam in such case, having reciprocable rather than oscillatory movement.

In either case, the beam supports the reed generically designated by reference character 19, which is made by mounting dents having free ends and here comprising short tooth-like plates 35 in a bar or carrier 36 as best shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. These plates are very thin and have rounded extremities 37 approached curvilinearly by their rear margins 38 and substantially rectilinearly bytheir forward margins 39. The arrangement described is not critical but is preferred to facilitate reentry into the spaces between those strands of the warp wires which have been free of the open ended teeth of the reed at the bottom of the shed when the lay is retracted to the dotted line position in which it is illustrated in FIG. 1 and which is shown in full lines in FIG. 6. When the dents of the reed 19 are engaged with the shute wire 31 at the fell 9 as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 8, the

ends of all of the dents will be disposed between the upper and lower warp wires and engaged with the shute wire as clearly indicated in FIG. 4.

As a means of preliminarily taking the slack from the shute wire in advance of the beat-up operation, fingers 40 are provided at both sides of the work although, in any given operation, the only finger which will be active will be the one at the side of the work at which the shuttle is then disposed. These fingers 40 may be pivoted by means of a rockshaft 42 actuated by a link 43, lever 44 and cam 45 as shown in FIG. 1. However, if the lay is located below the work as in FIG. 5, the fingers 40 will ordinarily likewise be located below the work. In either case, after the fingers being then retracted, the portion of the shute wire loosely trailing behind the shuttle will be picked up by the appropriate finger and drawn snugly to the fell as, shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8, the finger being retracted as soon as the beat-up occurs.

The preferred sequence of operations is shown in a series of diagrammatic views commencing with FIG. 6. At the commencement of the cycle, the shuttle 30' has been fired through the shed between the raised warp wires 32 and the depressed warp wires 33 and is now at the remote side of the work in the position shown in FIG. 2. The shute wire 31 trails somewhat loosely through the shed. The fingers 40 and the lay beam 18 and the lay reed 19 are all retracted. In the specific position chosen for illustration in FIG. 6, the lay beam is still in course of retraction while the finger 40 there illustrated has commenced its advancing movement as illustrated by the arrow.

In the position of the parts shown in FIG. 7, the finger 40 is approaching its extreme forward position, having picked up the bight 310 of the shute wire. Most of the slack has been taken from that portion of the shute wire lying within the shed. The lay beam 18 is now advancing, having been released by its retracting cam 50."

In the position of the parts shown in FIG. 8 the beat- 3 ing-up operation is occurring, the reed 19 being engaged with the shute wire at the fell 9.

In the positions of the parts shown in FIG. 9, the shed harness is down and the shed harness 16 is up, thereby reversing the shed so that the warp wires 32 are now at the bottom of the shed and the warp wires 33 at the top. The lay beam 18 is rebounding and the shute tensioning finger 40 is being retracted out of the path which the shute will take in the next firing of the shuttle 30.

While the lay strikes its second "blow (optional), the finger 40 becomes completely retracted as shown in FIG. 10. As soon as retractive movement of the lay reaches the point indicated in FIG. 11, the shuttle 30 is fired. In FIG. 11, it is approaching the observer. Already the finger 40 is advancing as shown by the arrow so that as soon as the shute wire 31 is threaded through the shed in a direction toward the observer, it will be picked up by the finger 40 at that side of the work to repeat the cycle above described. As the cloth continues to be produced, it is wound on the cloth roll 22 in accordance with conventional practice. Clearly the arrangement described eliminates the possibility of shuttle crash, at the same time permitting the beating-up operation to be completed as the shuttle is being fired, thereby effecting very substantial economies in time and in avoidance of defects heretofore occurring as the result of interference between the beatup reed and warp movement effected by the firing of the shuttle.

I claim:

1. In a loom having a plurality of shed harnesses for warp strands and having a breast beam adjacent which a shute strand is heat up in the fell end of the shed provided by said harnesses, the combination with a beat-up reed mounted for movement longitudinally of the warp strands, and means for delivering through the shed of warp strands formed by said harnesses a shute strand to be beat up by said reed, said last mentioned means comprising a relatively fixed shuttle race and a shuttle reciprocable thereon, and with respect to which race and shuttle the reed has independent movement, together with means for reciprocating the shuttle and the beat-up reed, a pair of fingers mounted for movement along the warp strands at opposite sides thereof across the path in which the shute strand is left by successive movements of the shuttle, and means for advancing said fingers in a direction to pick up the shute strand for advancing it to the fell end of the shed prior to the action of the beat-up reed thereon.

2. In a loom having warp strand-controlling shed harnesses, means for the actuation of said harnesses to form a shed, means for feeding a shute strand through said shed, and means for beating up the shute strand at the fell end of the shed, the improvement which comprises a finger mounted for movement along the warp strands beside the shed in a path intersecting the path upon which the shute strand is threaded through the shed, and means for actuating said finger in advance of said beat-up means to engage a shute strand and advance it toward the fell end of the shed.

3. The device of claim 2 in which a pair of fingers are disposed at opposite sides of the shed for action upon the shute strand in successive threading operations in opposite directions through the shed, said fingers being adapted to decrease the slack in the shute strand before such strand is beaten into the warp strands at the fell end of the shed.

'4. In a loom, the combination with a set of shed harnesses and means for reciprocating a selected harness, the said harnesses having warp strands passing through them and subject to shed forming manipulation in the movement of the selected harness, of a relatively fixed reed having warp strand positioning members disposed beyond the harnesses, a shute strand threading shuttle reciprocable through the shed, means for passing a shuttle through the shed and comprising firing means at opposite ends of the shed, a lay having means mounting it for movement along the warp strands toward the fell end of the shed, a beat-up reed mounted on the lay and including beat-up members disposed between the paths of movement of the warp strands to engage a shute strand threaded through the shed by the shuttle, and means for actuating the lay, finger means disposed beside the shed and having supporting means mounting the finger means for movement toward the end of the shed, the finger means being disposed to intersect the path upon which the shute strand is threaded through the shed by the shuttle, the said finger means being adapted to advance toward the fell end of the shed a shute strand so fed, and means whereby the finger means is actuated for said shute strand advance prior to beat-up of said strand by the lay, whereby slack is removed from the shute strand before it is engaged by the beat-up reed of the lay.

5. The device of claim 4 having actuating mechanism for operating the several means aforesaid in a sequence in which the shed harnesses reverse the shed and the shuttle is fired while the lay is being retracted from a beat-up operation.

6. In a loom having a plurality of shed harnesses, and means mounting the harnesses for relative reciprocation for separating warp strands to form a shed having a fell end, and having a breast beam adjacent the fell end of the shed, the combination with means for delivering a shute strand through the shed, lay sword means pivoted for oscillation between retracted and advanced positions about a fixed center offset from the shed, a beat-up reed comprising free ended dents carried by the lay sword means for oscillation therewith upon an arc intersecting the shed, and means for advancing each such shute strand through the shed toward the fell end of the shed in advance of the movement of the beat-up reed toward its advanced position aforesaid, the path of oscillation of said dents being such that the dents are outside of the shed in said retracted position of the lay sword means and enter between warp strands at one side of the shed in approaching said advanced position toward the fell end of the shed, said dents entering between warp strands at the opposite side of the shed immediately before beating up the shute strand at the fell end of the shed.

7. In a loom having a plurality of shed harnesses for warp strands and means for reciprocating said harnesses to produce a shed having a fell end, the combination with a beat-up reed mounted for movement longitudinally of the warp strands between a retracted position remote from the fell end of the shed and an advanced beat-up position at the fell end of the shed, said reed having dents provided with free ends normally disengaged from the warp strands in the retracted position of said reed, and being adapted to enter between warp strands as the reed advances toward the fell end of the shed, means for delivering through the shed a shute strand to be beat up by the dents of said read, and finger means beside the shed for advancing the said shute strand toward the fell end of the shed in advance of the beat-up movement of the reed, whereby the shute strand will be in proximity to the fell end of the shed before being engaged by said dents in the beat-up operation of the reedv 8. The combination set forth in claim 7 in further combination with a relatively fixed auxiliary reed disposed between the harnesses and the path upon which the shute strand is delivered through the shed, said fixed reed having dents positioning the several warp strands.

9. In a loom having a plurality of shed harnesses, and means mounting the harnesses for relative reciprocation for separating warp strands to form a shed having a fell end, and having a breast beam adjacent the fell end of the shed, the combination with means for delivering a shute strand through the shed, lay sword means pivoted for oscillation between retracted and advanced positions about a fixed center ofiset from the shed, and a beat-up reed comprising free ended dents carried by the lay sword means for oscillation therewith upon an arc intersecting the shed, the path of oscillation of said dents being such that the dents are outside of the shed in said retracted position of the lay sword means and enter between warp strands at one side of the shed in approaching said advanced position toward the fell end of the shed, said dents entering between warp strands at the opposite side of the shed immediately before beating up the shute strand at the fell end of the shed with finger means movable in general parallelism with the warp strands and mounted beside the shed, and means for actuating such finger 10 means in advance of the beating up movement of the beat-up reed from its retracted position toward its advanced position at the fell end of the shed, said finger means picking up the shute strand delivered through the shed and advancing said shute strand toward the fell end of the shed, whereby to position it adjacent the fell end of the shed in the path of advance of the dents of the beat-up reed.

10. The combination set forth in claim 8 and in further combination with means for the synchronized operation of the shed harnesses and the shute strand delivering means for reversing the shed and delivering a shute strand through the reversed shed during movement of the beatup reed from its advanced position toward its retracted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 653,249 Kuett July 10, 1900 1,609,272 Davis Nov. 30, 1926 1,726,434 Hahn Aug. 27, 1929 2,022,225 Thompson Nov. 26, 1935 2,086,248 Thompson July 6, 1937 2,107,592 Wolfensberger Feb. 8, 1938 2,382,511 Shimwell Aug. 4, 1945 2,453,181 Bartholomew Nov. 9, 1948 2,712,328 Chaya July 5, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 674,231 Great Britain June 18, 1952 

